Vic Mensa

I wanted to go to a place with my first album that was just to the root, to the heart of emotion, and just unbridled by anything that wasn't truly in my heart.

And being that my father is gone in immigrant and I have you know - that I owe my existence to immigration, I think that the fear of immigration that has existed in American history from the first day, I just find it to be wrong.

I mean, Common was and is like my favorite rapper.

Coming from Chicago, Lollapalooza is the one weekend of the summer when actual Chicagoans are kept out.

I always try to take performances as an opportunity to implant my spirit into the hearts and minds of anyone in a hundred-yard vicinity.

We're not able to hide behind myths of this being a post-racial society because Donald Trump has outlined exactly how a large portion of America feels.

That's one thing I can't lose: I can't lose the realness in my music.

I'm from a family of educators. I grew up with books in my house and in my hands and my parents in my life.

From a musical standpoint, I was inspired by '90s hip hop, with a lot of drums and the tempos. I'm always inspired by David Bowie and Prince.

I really make music from the heart.

I never look at it as if any of my successes were given to me through fate. Getting record deals, making the songs I've made, having fans and working with the people I work with aren't chance. I know that dedication and work have gotten me to where I am and will get me to where I wanna go.

I've been harassed by police my whole life and seen people who looked like me treated like animals at the hands of law enforcement.

I'm still alive to change the world and to do things that are significant. I don't know what they all may be, but I was put on this earth for a reason.

As an artist, I try not to sound the same as others. Or even as myself.

On family trips and vacations, I remember walking around with my little sister and making funny songs on the spot.

I might have 'couch syndrome.' I'm always sleeping on the couch at home, even when I have a comfortable bed. I'm used to it.

I used to print out lyrics from Nas songs and write my own lyrics in the same syllable count but with different words and different rhymes.

So much of my life and my style and sensibility are influenced by skateboarding. It's counter-culture and skateboarding is my introduction to counter-culture.

There's always somebody telling you what you're not supposed to like. But that's not the way I grew up.

I just stand by the things I believe in and if that upsets people, which it often does, then we got a situation on our hands. Everybody is okay and safe. I'm just blessed to be awake.